Innocent
by Puckulence
Summary: Zelda's hands acted on their own accord and wrapped around his, and she brought them close to her mouth without looking away from his kind eyes. Her lips pursed together and she kissed his knuckles before murmuring, "Thank you, my hero."
1. Preface

A/N: This may or may not be updated a little…sporadically. I apologize in advance if it is, but I'm afraid I haven't quite worked out an ending yet. However, I know that in time and after writing on it for a bit, it will come to me. Until then folks, until then.

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><p>His hands and jaw both ached from clenching; as the light that glowed around him dissipated, Link slowly peeled his now soft, childish fingers from the hilt of the Master Sword. He looked down at his hands and let out a long, heavy sigh, unsure of what to make of himself in that moment. His eyes, wide and blue, averted to the sword that was now stuck stiffly and upright in the Pedestal of Time, no longer begging for him to hold it in his hands and be the hero. Link tore himself away from it, turned his back, and walked out of the Door of Time once and for all. He did not, could not look as the door sealed itself shut and the precious Spiritual Stones surely disappeared. Heart as empty as the hollows behind him, Link trudged out of the temple and stepped into Hyrule.<p>

Link glanced up at the sky above him; the sun was high, not a single cloud blocking its rays. He could see the white ring of clouds suspended over Death Mountain, no sign of evil in them at all. He whipped around to gaze upon the holy temple he had just left-it looked strangely younger, seven years so in fact-and he saw himself in it. He felt a strange attachment to it now, as if it were a kindred spirit to his own, for it had seen what he had seen, and he, just like the noble building in front of him, would never forget them. Even now with his feet planted firmly in the present, his spirit was in the future; he felt displaced and split apart, detached from a reality that no longer was and never would be. With his own two hands-firm, adult hands-he had changed it, delivered it from darkness and evil, but that was all over. Link had been sent back to regain his time lost, his timely escapades over, with nothing but an ever-growing hole long for adventure in his chest.

Link left a part of him behind in that temple as he walked away from it. He bit his lip, not daring to look behind him a second time, as he realized that his future had suddenly became his past. The truth of it all confused him and rattled his thoughts around his head like a snow globe. His mind had still not settled by the time he entered Castle Town, which was loud and bustling with activity and Hylians as usual. He walked past them all, not paying attention to who they were or what they were saying without Navi the fairy flying about and point them out. As he circled around the fountain, he caught sight of the tall, towering Hyrule Castle nestled in the hills in the north. Memories, all at once, flooded his mind; ones of himself slaying darkness with the blade of evil's bane and rescuing the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, began to play before his eyes. Thinking of her sparked a different memory, one of approaching her in the garden where she probably stood now, once more peeking through the window to the castle to see the business going on inside.

It was then, all at once, that Link felt the weight lift from his heart. An idea sprouted inside of him as he looked the castle; he had not figured out to forget, but he had thought of a way to lessen the pain of remembering. He sprinted now, eyes set on the castle that was as forbidden as always to him, and left the rest of Hyrule in his wake. He could see Zelda clearly in his mind, standing on her tiptoes trying to get a good view in the castle; she didn't know it, but she was waiting for him. He would slip past the guards like he had already done, step into the garden once more, and wait for her to turn around. Link had already sacrificed things; it was time he didn't leave a part of his broken up future behind him.


	2. Dreams

A/N: Behold, chapter one. This fic is divided into parts, with chapters within those parts. Please R&R, and as always, enjoy what you read.

PART 1: OH CHILDREN

As the sun finally fell beneath the horizon, darkness blanketed Hyrule. Single, chilling stars began to appear, and the moon slowly rose from behind the hills to the top of the inky sky, serving as the world of night's large, snow white sun. Watching from the Hyrule Castle was a young girl, only around ten or so in age, standing outside on the balcony. A cool breeze caused her to shiver, but she remained outside while the world was swathed in black. She smiled at the sky that hung so high above her; while the day was beautiful to her, the night was so enchanting. With each gust of wind that blew through Hyrule, she felt it whispered long-lost secrets to her eager ears, that each gentle wind could lead her to an adventure far away. She extended one dainty hand towards the sky, as if she planned to pluck a star from it, and she closed her fist around nothing but the air. Her arms dropped to her sides in disappointment, believing that adventure was not what fate had in mind for the princess of Hyrule.

"Zelda," a throaty voice called to her from inside. Zelda frowned at the empty land of Hyrule before obediently turning around to face the voice's possessor. Impa, her caretaker and member of the mysterious Sheikah, came walking towards her slowly. "Zelda," Impa started once again, "it's time you got to bed."

Zelda pouted at her, wanting nothing more than to stay outside. Her heart ached as she was reminded that the outside world, where opportunities for exploration crept, was no place for her. "But I'm not _tired_," whined the princess. She folded her arms over her chest in defiance, trying to show that she was old enough to not be escorted to bed at certain hours. However, her mouth rounded out over a yawn and her sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes betrayed her. Before Impa could respond, Zelda's arms fell in admittance of the defeat she had expected. "Never mind," she mumbled. She walked back into the castle with slow, reluctant steps, truly tired but not wanting to fall asleep.

Impa quickly caught up with her and went to her side. Zelda said nothing as she approached the door to her room, but before she could open it and slip quietly inside, Impa put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Princess…is something bothering you?"

Zelda stopped, slender fingers still reaching for the door. Her hand recoiled and laid across her heart, and she tilted her head up to look at her pleasant caretaker. With a smile that didn't touch her eyes, she said, "I'm okay Impa," even though she wasn't. She didn't care to talk about it, so she said goodnight to Impa before quickly shutting herself inside of her room for the night.

The young princess's room was simple but elegant. A tapestry hung from the northernmost wall, and stitched into its surface in gold was the Triforce. Around the room hung portraits of family members and Princess Zeldas of the past, which she occasionally found frightening. It was strange to look upon the face of a girl whom she shared both a name and a face with. Sometimes Zelda would have nightmares, where all the other past princesses of Hyrule surrounded and enclosed her. She would always awake with her heart nearly beating out of her chest. Thinking of it made her uneasy. Now, as she crossed the room towards the wooden desk next to her bed, Zelda kept her eyes away from the other Zeldas. She didn't want to have bad dreams tonight.

She sat down in front of the large, rounded mirror that was hung on the wall before her. Her own tired, blue eyes stared back at her and watched as she removed her headdress. Thick, golden locks fell to her shoulders, gently waving and messy from being underneath the headpiece. Zelda reached for a silver hairbrush and began to pull it through her hair. As she brushed her hair, her mind backtracked to her time spent outside. She wondered how long it would be before she was allowed to go outside of the castle courtyards. She knew that when she was an adult, it would not matter anymore and that she could dictate her own life, but seven years seemed so long to wait. All she wanted was to be able to roam, to live the life of an adventurer like the ones of the stories Impa often told her.

Zelda set down her brush and stood from the stool she was seated at. She undressed quickly to change into her sleep clothes, the she went to her bed and crawled into it, surrendering to the world of slumber. As she laid her head down on the pillow, she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. It wasn't very long until she was fast asleep, mind free to roam while her body was left far behind.

_Zelda was standing in the midst of Hyrule, caught in a nasty patch of tall grass. It was dark out, the moon was perched high above her head, black clouds rolling across it and covering the sky, and she guessed it to be around midnight. The grass whipped wildly in the harsh wind blowing through the field as she tried to fight it off, but she kept getting tangled up in it further. The wind was colder than usual tonight, and she shivered as she tried to move through the grass. She could feel it wrap around her ankles, and in confusion she went toppling over onto her knees. She was sure that the plant had a life of its own, for the harder she fought the more it resisted. It wound tightly around her ankles, binding her to the dirty ground as she attempted to crawl away once more. Terrified now, Zelda opened her mouth wide and let out a scream, but only then did she notice that the wind was much louder. It flooded her ears and burned her eyes to look now, and as she squinted towards the sky she knew that she was in the middle of nowhere. _

_Heart beating hard and fast, she attempted to scream louder and pull herself away from the wicked grass, but it tightened its grip and she knew she was stuck. She blinked, and this time when she opened her eyes, high orange flames sprung from the ground and began to encircle her. Zelda's eyes began to fill with tears, both from the burning wind and the fear she felt in her heart. She gasped as she saw a tall, dark shadow fall across her face, and she felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she stared up at his face. His skin was dark and a sickening shade of greyish green; his eyes were fiery but dangerous and bore deep into her. His hair billowed around his face in the wind, bright as the flames that danced around them. She let out a sob, trapped by the grass with no way of escaping. _

_The man approached her slowly and leaned down to look at her. A jewel encrusted on his forehead glared at her like a cruel red eye. His mouth spread into an unnatural smile, and he laughed an evil laugh that Zelda could hear even over the sound of the wind. She screamed again, now from fear instead of crying for help, and she continued to shed tears as one of his huge, gloved hands reached for her. He grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled her closer. The weeds that were wrapped so tightly around her began to snap and break, and soon the man had her completely off the ground. She attempted to screech once more, but his hand closed tightly around her throat. Hot tears rolled down her face as he continued to cackle at her, the sound as deep and malevolent as his eyes. He squeezed tighter, and Zelda's hands shot for his. She clawed wildly at them, trying to tug them off, but he simply closed his fingers tighter on her neck. She gasped for air, throat throbbing from yelling and the pressure. Desperately, Zelda's eyes looked around, the smoke from the fire stinging them. She bit her lip, accepting what was inevitable while the despicable man laughed. She rolled her eyes back up to the sky, hoping to see something pretty instead of his twisted face before she slumbered eternally. _

_The black clouds that had been swirling across the sky suddenly began to dissipate; they pulled away from the full moon, which was now directly overhead. As they faded, the moonlight pooled around her, forming a circle of pure light across her body. Zelda gasped audibly as the man's hand released her, and she watched as he began to scream. His hand seemed to be dissolving, the light filtering through it. While she saw him suffer, a figure appeared behind him, and in its hand was a long blade, glinting in the light of the moon. Her eyes widened and she raised her hand to her face as the sword sunk deep into the man's back, and he began to bellow from the pain. In the light, she could see a boy's face and body on the man's back, hand gripped tightly on the hilt of the sword. He ripped the sword from his back and flipped off, down into the tall grass. Holes began to appear in the evil man, beams of light coming from every pore, and both the screams and wind slowly got quieter as his entire being was consumed in light. When he was nothing but a figure cloaked in white, he burst into black smoke that snaked up the sky. _

_Zelda wiped the salty tears from her dirtied face before she lowered her hand. She glanced around, seeing no terrible grass, and her breaths began to slow down as the flames dwindled before completely disappearing. She crawled about on the grass for a moment, making sure that there truly were no signs of the man. The fear began to leave her mind, for he had been nothing but a phantom in the night. Zelda tried to stand, but her legs were as weak as water and she fell back to her knees once more. From the corner of her eye, she saw another shadow approaching her in the grass, and she shut her eyes in fear again. She waited, but when nothing happened, she opened her eyes to see no one but a young boy. _

_He was looking down at her, hand extended for her to grab. Zelda eyed him carefully, noticing his Kokirish clothing, not quite able to see his face. Warily, she placed her hand into his and he pulled her into a standing position. She dusted herself off and adjusted her headdress, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes flickered back to him, and she could see his face clearly now. His eyes were clear and very blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer day. He stared back from behind his blonde hair, mouth barely a smile as she gaped at him. Zelda's hands acted on their own accord and wrapped around his, and she brought them close to her mouth without looking away from his kind eyes. Her lips pursed together and she kissed his knuckles before murmuring, "Thank you, my hero." _

Princess Zelda awoke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. She sat straight up in her bed and looked around her room; when she realized that she was not standing in the fields of Hyrule, her hands moved to her neck and she felt around for any contusions or finger marks. When she felt nothing but her own skin, she sighed in relief that she had only been dreaming. She tried to slow the beating of her heart and calm herself down, but even in reality she could see that evil phantom's eyes. Glowing red and piercing, Zelda knew that they had been etched into her memory. Thinking of them made her shake and fill with fear all over again. She clasped her quaking hands together in an attempt to relax, but the dream began to replay in her head. She whimpered, but suddenly the image of a pair of sweet, azure eyes formed instead of rings of fire and she felt her hands still. The young hero from her dream slashed away the scary scenes, and she thanked him once more before climbing out of bed.

As Zelda waded through her morning activities, all her brain could concentrate on was the boy she had encountered during sleep. Now, she absent-mindedly bathed, thinking only him and who he might've been. She wondered, dreamily, if he could be real; was there actually a hero waiting to rescue her? Zelda shushed these girlish thoughts as she washed her hair and skin, feeling it inappropriate to think of boys while she took a bath. The steam of the hot water did not clear head, though, and as soon as she was dressed she ran to find Impa to tell her of her dream.

She found her nursemaid outside of the castle, in the garden. She leaned against the wall of the castle, surrounded by a sea of red roses and narcissus, most likely taking a break to relax from the chaotic feel of the castle. Zelda came running towards her, white dress clutched in her hands in order to not trip, and Impa chuckled at her as she came to halt.

"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, excitement twinkling in her glassy eyes. She clasped her hands together, hopeful for answers to the questions that she had. She trusted that Impa, being both a wise and well-traveled woman, would be able to lead her in the right direction.

Impa smiled down at her fondly and gave her a pat on the head. "Well Princess, you seem quite eager this morning. Did you sleep well?"

Zelda's smile began to fade. "No, Impa," she said with a shake of her head, "that's actually what I came here to talk with you about." With this said, she began to wring her hands. "Last night…I had this horrible dream…a nightmare…" She flickered her eyes to Impa's, who was looking at her with concern.

The nursemaid frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened, Zelda?" she asked, a peculiar tone in her voice.

Zelda carefully told her the details of the dream, from the plants to the sinister man surrounded by fire. Impa's mouth was a tight line as she listened, nodding here and there as she walked her through the details. "What… what could've possibly sparked those kinds of dreams?"

"I don't know…" Zelda responded, fear in her own eyes. "I didn't understand it in my dream, and I don't understand it now."

"Perhaps it was…prophetic?" she suggested.

At this, Zelda raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think about that…but I'm not sure what it could have symbolized…it was very realistic and…straightforward…" She brought her finger to her lips as she pondered the possibility.

"Did you wake up after that?" Impa questioned.

"No…" Zelda paused for a moment, thinking things over, before adding, "And it wasn't all _bad_."

"How so, Princess?" She seemed more interested now.

"Well," Zelda started, a blush spreading across her cheeks, "there was a boy." She turned her back to Impa as she said this and began to pace back and forth; she worried that she would be teased about this.

"…A boy…?" Impa smirked at the young girl. "And?"

"And…he got rid of the man. He destroyed him, I suppose," she said, the excitement in her voice audible. As she spun around to face Impa, her face was flushed, and her eyes glistened as she talked about him. "He carried a sword, and he just came out of nowhere…so brave! And then…everything was okay." Zelda shuffled her feet around and twiddled her fingers, a little embarrassed by her confession and the passion it was delivered with. She had made sure to skip over the part where she thanked him; her face would've been as red as the roses they stood beside.

"I suppose that's why you seem so spacey today. You've been thinking about some dream boy!" She laughed heartily, obviously amused with her story.

"I haven't been spacey today…! Have I?" Zelda was irritated now, both with herself for swooning and Impa for giggling at her. She wanted her to know how real he had seemed to her. She had felt as if he were standing beside her, and when she imagined it, she could almost feel his warm hands in hers again. It made her heart skip a beat and her cheeks redden more. "He was just very realistic!"

Impa laughed a little more and placed a gentle hand on her small shoulder. "So this boy…have you seen him before? Or his he just a product of your wild imagination?"

Zelda shook her head and bit her lip in thought. "I know I haven't. But he seemed…so…familiar…as if I have met him before… it was so strange!" Her mind conjured up the image of his eyes once more, intently looking back at her. "I mean…I don't know how I could dream up a person real…so alive…if they didn't really exist." She glanced back at Impa, eyes pleading that she didn't sound crazy for saying all of this.

Impa looked down at her, then moved from the wall and faced away from the castle. She looked out of the courtyard and back down at Zelda again. "Perhaps he is real then. Out there somewhere. Sometimes dreams can lead you to all sorts of places…and all kinds of people."

The princess sighed heavily at this, for she wished that to be true. She now stared out of the courtyard, wishing that she would one day go far beyond these castle walls and meet the one that had invaded her dreams. She looked back up at Impa and said, "Thanks for listening, Impa. I appreciate it." With those words, she entered the castle once more and resumed her day, trying her best to no longer think of her own little hero.

It wasn't until sunset that Zelda stepped outside again. She was standing out on the same balcony, washed in the warm colors red and orange. She approached the parapet and inserted her feet into the open slots, then raised herself up to where she was higher up. Slowly, she spread her arms out and leaned her head back, and she giggled at herself for being silly. It felt nice, though, to be so free. She set her hands back down on the parapet and placed her feet back on the ground once more. She leaned on her elbows over the top of the parapet, watching the sun as it nestled itself below the rolling hills of Hyrule. She allowed herself thoughts of her dream once again, and she wondered if somewhere out there, the boy was watching the sunset too.

Before long, darkness had fallen over the land again. Tonight, Zelda could see more stars than usual; they appeared in clusters spread across the blackened sky. She smiled to herself, wishing that she could be out there on the grass, gazing up at the stars from the ground. She held her hands in front of her face and reached for the moon, no longer full but instead lopsided and waning. From where she was standing, it seemed so close and within her reach, but she knew that the moon, along with other things from her dream, it was inconceivably distant. A sad sigh escaped from her lips; she longed to meet that blonde-haired boy, and all she could do is hope that he was real. A part of her believed that he was, in fact, in Hyrule at that very moment. Perhaps he was sprawled on the ground somewhere, gazing up at the stars and yearning for her as well.

Hand on her heart, Zelda turned away from the beautiful sky and went to her bedroom, hoping that her dreams wouldn't be as troubling as the previous night's.

_Once more, Zelda found herself underneath the huge, starry sky, but this time she was stretched out on the cool ground, completely undisturbed. She grinned as she drew pictures in the air with the stars, connecting the shining dots together. A cool breeze rolled through, and she shivered a little. She then felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder. She flipped on her side to see a blonde boy with thick bangs laying beside her, his arm draped around her to keep her warm. She smiled again as she observed his green forest clothing and his small wooden shield. He turned his head to look at her, and when he smiled she felt much warmer. _

_Zelda sat up and turned towards him. He looked up at her with his frosty blue eyes, and she couldn't help but stare back. She leaned over him, smoothed his hair away from his forehead with her hand, and he fluttered his eyes shut. She wanted so desperately to ask him his name, but her lips wouldn't form over the words. He sat up now, too, and when he gazed at her, she felt her hands wrapping around his for a second time._

"_Come find me again." _


	3. Whispers on the Wind

A/N: Finally done with this chapter. Now I can get to the fun stuff.

For a full week, the dreams of the boy clad in green persisted. Every time Zelda's head locked down and fell into the realm of sleep, he would eventually make an appearance. The dreams always started out the same: she would be wandering some field of Hyrule, each place farther away from the castle than the last, and she would encounter the young fellow. Whenever she believed that she was by herself, he would appear beside her; if she was in trouble, he would come to her aid. Zelda didn't know why she dreamt of him so often, or why she never learned his name-she would always wake up before she got to ask-but she was mostly puzzled by how vivid the dreams were. He seemed so real in her mind that sometimes when she awoke from her slumber, she swore she could still feel the touch of his skin or smell the scent of his forest clothes lingering on her night dress. She wanted answers to the millions of questions she had, but he had never spoken a word to her.

The image of him remained in her eyes as she stirred that morning. Zelda rolled over in her bed and brought the wrist of her sleeve to her nose, and when she breathed deeply should could smell the faintest traces of pine. She sighed to herself in frustration as she climbed out of bed. Was she crazy for fantasizing so strongly about someone? She shook her head at this, dismissing the thought, and crossed the room to her dresser. While she brushed her hair out in front of the looking glass, Zelda's mind stayed on the interloper of her dreams. She knew that it was unlikely, ridiculous even, to believe that he was real, but she could almost feel his presence. Every dream seemed more and more like a premonition, and in her heart she knew that he existed. All she could do was wait patiently until they crossed paths or stumbled into each other, and that in itself was improbable.

Zelda stood and went to change out of her night clothes and into her usual dress. She slipped into the few different layers of clothes, and she pulled her silky hair back as she slipped on her headdress, With a look of approval as she adjusted the bracelets she wore in the mirror, Zelda left her chambers for the castle garden, the place she usually stayed when it was nice out. Today, as slipped out of the castle and into the courtyards, the sun was out and high, burning bright on the blue background of the sky. A few clouds floated around, white and wispy. Zelda grinned at the pleasant spring weather and sat down on the stone steps, underneath a window. She wrapped her arms around her legs and brought them to her chest, and she rested her chin on the tops of her knees. As she gently shut her eyes, she inhaled the scent of the surrounding flowers, a cornucopia of sweet scents. She smiled as she sat there, glad to be relaxing outside instead of being caught up in the stress of the castle or her dreams.

The sound of voices emitting from the window above her caused Zelda to come out of her trance. Even though she thought it both rude and nosy to eavesdrop on others, she took a little joy in hearing the gossip of the castle. She felt it was the most modest form of excitement she could have, listening to what the people said under their breaths. The wind whipped through Hyrule Castle and carried with it secrets that her ears were dying to hear, and it was at this very window that she often perched and listened. All though these sessions often spawned self-reproach, Zelda considered them her guilty pleasure, and so she would spend evenings hidden beneath the window pane, allowing herself to hear many things that she was not meant to.

Now she tilted her head up and listened, not quite sure what these voices were saying. She bit her lip at the muffled sounds and turned around to face the wall. She pulled herself up slowly and, not quite tall enough to lean through the window properly, stood on her toes to see in. She could see shadows moving across the wall, two dark figures conversing in hushed tones. Zelda stuck her head through the window into the castle now, and she craned her neck to see the shapes of Impa and her father. She listened intently now, but she could only catch broken pieces of Impa's words.

"…strange…about Zelda…came to me…"

Zelda quickly recoiled and backed away from the window, the words still ringing in her ears. She knew that this conversation was probably both important and confidential, but her name had been said. Temptation gnawed at her being, and buckling beneath the weight of it, Zelda watched through the window as the shadows danced in movement on the walls. She brought her hand to the shell of her ear, concentrating on their words as they spoke.

"Zelda…prophetic…could it be?" her father was saying now, his tone skeptical but wary.

"Possibly…can't tell if she…strange ones…fire and the blade…" Impa's murmurs were fading in and out. A breath escaped from Zelda's lips as she quickly crouched down beneath the window. She placed her hand on her chest, her heart thumping rapidly beneath it, racing like her mind. Impa had told him all about her dreams, hadn't she? Could she have mentioned every detail? With bated breath, she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest again. Her mind was stretching in many different places at once; what would happen if her father thought the dreams to be true? Would she be forever locked away, never to see the sunlight again, for her own protection? The thought made her shiver, and she rested her head on her knees, praying to the goddesses that nothing would happen.

The sound of shuffling feet above pulled Zelda out of her curled position. She pulled herself up using the window pane, wanting to see if she could catch anymore of the conversation, but instead she came face-to-face with Impa. Her caretaker's expression was stern, and Zelda felt her face turn red with the embarrassment of getting caught. Impa folded her arms across her chest, and her full lips were pulled into a thick line. "Zelda," she started, "were you spying on the conversation?" The serious look in her eyes trusted Zelda would not lie to her.

Zelda wouldn't have dreamt of lying to her, and with wide, apologetic eyes she confessed. "I'm sorry Impa," she said, wringing her hands nervously, "I was just curious after you mentioned my name…" Her head hung down and she stared at her feet, and they too moved about anxiously. She didn't know what kind of trouble she was in, but she feared that she now was doomed to spend her life locked in the northernmost tower.

At the sorrow in her tone, though, Impa softened slightly, and she tipped Zelda's chin up to look at her. "Princess, what we were discussing is something I cannot reveal to you now; try your best to forget what you heard, however much that was. I suggest you stray from eavesdropping from now on, for it's not only impolite but can also lead to things you're not able to handle."

Zelda blinked a few times but nodded her head in silent agreement. Impa's hand fell away from her face, and she looked up at her with wide eyes. "I promise you Impa, I will not meddle."

"What a well-behaved princess you are," Impa replied. Zelda smiled at her, and was going to open her mouth to say something, but a loud snapping sound made her turn around quickly. She saw nothing and spun around to Impa again, but the Sheikah had disappeared from the window sill. Zelda stuck her head through the window and looked for her, but she saw nothing but the tapestry billowing in the wind she had left in her wake.

A cloudy night appeared to have blotted out the moon entirely, and the stars themselves appeared to have been blown out by the goddesses themselves, for it was one of the darkest nights that Hyrule had seen in weeks. The guards, always on watch in front of Hyrule Castle, could barely see their armored hands in front of their eyes, and for this Link was quite thankful. He was snaking his way up a thick patch of vines sprawled across the plateau that led to the castle itself; it was too dangerous any other way. When he had hoisted himself up and dusted himself off, he peered down at the guards, though he himself had a difficult time seeing them. He crossed toward the large gates, seeing the pair of guards just barely in the darkness, and he carefully found the square hole in the stone. Link crouched down and fondled about for the ladder, and then descended slowly into the blackness.

Usually, this part of his plan was flawless, but tonight was obviously a night for challenges. As he hopped off the ladder onto the ground, he felt a cold, steely hand grab the back of his shirt. Link's eyes widened as he was roughly pulled around to look into the face of one of the guards. He looked very mean and disgruntled; Link concluded that he must have been sleeping in the guard tower. The guard, unforgiving of his crime, clutched his collar tightly and walked through the opposing door to the outside to throw him out into the night.

Link flew only a short distance before he landed face-first on the ground. He sputtered, dirt in his mouth, and pulled himself up. His elbows and face were a little scraped and stung, but he only dusted himself off once more and started to clamber up the vines again. This time, as he stood on top of the guard tower, he bravely jumped off and rolled as he landed; he didn't have the time to be stopped again. He coughed from the dirt once more and then looked at the hill beside him. It was crowned with two guards, and on the trail before him he saw two more. With a slightly frustrated sigh, he crept slowly up the hill, praying the darkness would make him nothing more than a shadow in the night. Luckier this time than he was before, Link slipped past the guards without them noticing, and as soon as he confirmed that he was freed of them, he broke out into a run towards the west side of the castle.

As Link brushed past trees and stray patches of narcissus, the sun started to rise quickly and he thought about the princess. He wondered if she would call the guards on him and get him thrown out of the castle once more. He had not thought it through properly, since it was an impulse to sneak into the castle at nightfall. Thinking of it now, he realized that she would not have the slightest idea who he was. A little anxious now, he ran faster towards another plateau splattered with vines, and by the time had climbed up them and dove into the mote, he had convinced himself it was all in vain.

He swam down the mote and around the corner, pass more guards who did not bother to look down. As he climbed out and rung out his clothes, no longer in the sight of the guards, Link noticed that the sun had raised fully in the sky and everything was bathed in orange. He found the crates that helped him reach the small hole that poured water out of it and into the mote, and before he knew it he had wriggled his way into the courtyard.

Now, as he hid behind hedges from more guards on patrol, Link was trying to think of a way to introduce himself that wouldn't scare her or something. However, every scenario he thought up in his head always ended in Zelda yelling for guards and them sending him flying from the courtyard, and she would only smile at the triumph. A peculiar feeling prickled in his chest, and clenched his fist tightly. No, he thought to himself, he would not turn back now. He would proudly march into that garden and find the princess he had been searching for, and she would be as sweet as he remembered her being. She would be accepting and kind, not mean and nasty, and everything would turn out okay.

Brimming with confidence at this, Link waited until the guard had strode past him and was behind the other side of the hedge before darting quickly down the path and rounding the corner. Here, he faced two instead of one, but these were both a little on the stupid side, for they often crossed paths and shrugged, as if they themselves did not know what they were there for. Once, they ran straight into each other, and in the confusion of swatting limbs and clouds of dust, Link effortlessly dashed towards the vine covered wall ahead without being spotted.

After getting past the silly guards, Link simply had to scale a wall and walk across it, which was nothing more than a balancing act and proved to not be hard at all. Then, crouching once more behind finely cut hedges, he dove past the first one with ease. However, as he was making his way past the second, he stepped on a stick and it cracked rather loudly; the guard whipped around to glance around. Link, ever daring, had jumped into a large bush that stood rooted near the castle wall. The guard, thinking he had heard nothing but a squirrel or rabbit, went back to walking along the hedges, and Link snuck out of the bush as quietly as possible and into the garden.

Pleased with his success, Link smiled to himself, but it faded as he looked around the garden. The same red roses sprung from the ground in pretty clusters across the green grass, and water streamed through the grates along the castle walls. Narcissus, the same as the wild ones growing on the castle ground, were small yellow splotches that were as bright as the sun that hung above his head. His eyes traveled from the little garden to the stone steps that led to the castle where, peering through the window, was Princess Zelda. Any words Link thought he could muster were gone, and his breath was caught in his throat. There she was, back turned to him as if he wasn't even there, lost in some other world. He longed for her to turn around and flash him her sweet smile, but he knew that if he just stood there she would never turn around. He took a few slow steps towards her, and when he was only a few feet away, she noticed his presence and whirled around to face him.

She was not as pretty as he remembered; she was at least twice as beautiful. Her skin was pale like milk glass and had a radiant glow the goddesses should've envied. Her eyes, widened at the sight of him, a complete stranger, were forget-me-not blue and almost glittered in the sun. She brought a hand to her rosy mouth, and began to stutter out words in that voice he had never forgotten: "H-how…did you get here…?" She took a step forward, and Link didn't know what was going to happen next, but he found himself not caring as he gazed at his lovely princess.


	4. Secrets

A/N: I struggled with this, but I think it turned out good enough.

The mind is a tricky thing; Zelda told herself this as she gaped at the boy in front of her. Mouth dry and breath bated in her throat, she could not bring herself to make a single sound, let alone form an entire word. Her astonishment had left her rigid, and the shock of seeing him standing there made her heart beat fast and very hard. She brought her hand, quivering, to her lips, and she blinked rapidly before choking out a very shrill, "H-how…did you get here?" It took personal strength to take even one step forward.

Zelda moved her hand from her mouth and brought it tightly with her chest with the other. She began to walk cautiously, unsure of whether what she was seeing was real or fantasy. She worried, deep inside, that she had gone mad and this was a figment of her wild imagination, for as she gazed upon him she realized that he was, indeed, the boy in her dreams. With every step she drew nearer, and she locked her eyes onto his to search for something real.

Just like every dream she had that week, there he stood with a slight smile, dressed in the green garb of the forest children. All though not looking quite as wide-eyed as she, Zelda saw the way they nervously opened, as if he too could not believe what he was seeing. She stopped only a foot or so in front of them, and she rubbed her eyes, still thinking they were just failing lenses. However, when she looked at him again, he had not gone and remained standing there, blonde hair falling over his forehead and hands clenched nervously into fists. Zelda moved her right hand from her chest and offered it, fingers shaking all the while. "You've come?" she asked, her voice much stiller than her hands. She waited, and with a gentle sureness, the boy placed his left hand on her own.

"I knew you would," she breathed out with good confidence. His smile broadened a little, but surprise danced mysteriously in his eyes. She didn't know what to make of the peculiar expression his eyes held, but she only smiled at him in delight as she lightly placed her other hand on his.

Zelda, truly, was delighted, and as she examined him, she could not get over how accurate her dreams had been. As she felt his hand with her own, she could feel slight calluses on the skin of his palm. She grinned at him in a way she thought probably looked stupid, and it made her smile more when she noticed the streaks of dirt on his cheeks and the slight scrapes that hid underneath it. Zelda was overcome with joy that he had found her so soon, and even more so at the fact that he really existed. No more doubts in her mind as he stood in front of her, she longed to purse her lips and touch them to his dirtied knuckles, but she stopped herself.

They stood there for a few moments, both silent and unmoving as they stared at each other. Link didn't know how to respond; Zelda didn't know where to begin. Finally, though, she cleared her throat a little and forced out, "What's your name?"

This seemed to through him off as he glanced away from her before looking back. She waited for his eyes to find hers again, wanting so badly to know what this aloof boy's voice sounded like and what his name was. He looked away from her once more, sheepish, but then his eyes latched onto hers again. This time when he met her gaze, though, he seemed more confident and replied with, "Link."

On the inside, Zelda could feel her stomach swarming with butterflies. Hearing his voice, kind and warm, was like another piece of the puzzle solved; slowly, he was becoming whole to her. "Link," she said steadily. "I really like that." A blush blossomed over her pale face.

This must have embarrassed him as well, for his own cheeks turned a little red at her words, and Zelda couldn't repress giggles. Deciding to be bold, she brought his hand to lips, and she placed a very gentle kiss on his hand. "Thank you," he muttered as she pulled away, and she felt satisfied with the flustered look on his face.

"Zelda…" he started, but she excitedly cut him off.

"You know my name?" she asked before realizing this was silly. Before she could brush off the question, Link replied with "Doesn't everybody?"

Zelda giggled again, unable to stop herself. "That was a foolish question, of course you know who I am! How else would have known to come to the castle?"

Link's smile twitched a bit; his expression was most strange and she couldn't place it. He looked a little uncomfortable, as if he didn't know what to say to her. He seemed to be a very quiet young man, and not knowing what else to say, she asked "Did you come from the forest?"

He nodded, and she brightly exclaimed, "I knew it!"

His eyes widened, and she guessed that he wanted to know how exactly she had known that.

"Your clothing is Kokirish…" Her eyelids fluttered, and with a most endearing look, she added, "And you smell like pine."

Link flushed deeply, the points of his ears tingeing with pink. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," Zelda told him, not sounding sorry at all, but he nervously waved her off.

"It's fine," said Link. Another silence fell between them and settled for what seemed like a few minutes, but Zelda's head was buzzing noisily with thought. Link seemed so odd to her, and she wondered why he didn't speak out more. It was as if every word was a struggle, but she believed that to be by personal choice. Dying to get inside of his head, she knew that she would have to do most of the talking to even find the doorway.

"Well," she said just to break the silence. Zelda took his hand once more and nodded her head to the steps of the castle, a gesture for him to come with her. "I have so many questions!" she said, pulling him along after he nodded with silent agreement. Excitement bubbled inside of her as they settled onto the steps. She wrapped her arms around her legs and brought her knees closely to her chest. Link simply sat down beside her and glanced away from the castle, as if keeping watch. "Don't worry, the guards don't come into the garden."

He looked rather doubtful, but Link turned to face her nevertheless. He sighed deeply before saying, "What do you want to know?" in the same discreet voice.

Everything would have been her first answer, but Zelda didn't want to pressure him too much…not yet anyway. She decided to start of slow; she cleared her throat and asked, "What's the forest like?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then paused to rethink his answer. After a moment, he replied with, "Very quiet and very green."

"What are the forest people like? The Kokiri?"

"Children," he said. "Only children live in the forest." He held his hands together tightly, as if this unnerved him.

Zelda's eyes widened. "_Only_ children? Really? But how…?"

"In the forest, there's this tree…the Great Deku Tree…that gave life to all the children in the forest," said Link. "They never grow up."

"So they're…children forever?" Zelda asked, eyes growing ever wider. She could hardly believe what it would be like to never get older or age physically. Before he could answer her, another question hit her: "Does that mean you'll be a kid forever, too?"

He was noticeably bothered by this: his hands began to fidget and he stuttered as he said, "I-I guess it does."

"I didn't mean to upset you," Zelda added quickly, this time sounding genuine. Yet again, he waved off her apology.

"No, really, it's all right." Yet his eyes fell away from hers and his fingers continued to twist.

"So…do you have a leader or anything if you're all only children?"

Link didn't look back at her, but he continued to talk to her, eyes concentrating on his hands. "Yes. His name is Mido."

Zelda couldn't help but giggle at the strain in his tone. "You don't seem to fond of him."

"He doesn't like me very much." She could see the ghost of a frown on his face, and his thick eyebrows were furrowed. "But he's okay," he added, and his face relaxed considerably.

Zelda smiled sweetly, eyes twinkling at him. She couldn't understand how someone could not like such a kind, polite boy; was it really possible to stare into those dreamy blue eyes and find something to dislike? She shook her head at him, as if to disagree. "I bet he likes you. He just doesn't want to."

Link looked at her curiously. "A lot of the time, people are just jealous," Zelda told him. "I can't see what he could possibly dislike about…" She blushed again, but this time with a wise passion instead of embarrassment. "I bet you have lots of friends in the forest!"

"Yeah…I've got this one friend…named Saria…" Link quickly turned to look at her expectantly, eyes bright and communicative. When he saw that Zelda only gazed at him with interest, the light disappeared from his eyes as quickly as if someone had blown out the flame of a candle.

Link's eyes shifted from his hands back to her face, looking pensive. Even now, while he was talking about himself, she felt like she wasn't truly learning anything. Zelda didn't think him to be dishonest, but instead mysterious. His demeanor suggested that there were things he didn't want to tell her, but she couldn't blame him for that: technically, they were strangers. It was that thought exactly, though, that tugged at her heart. Sitting there with him, even as he danced around her innocent questions, felt so natural to her. Zelda had a feeling that there was more to the two of them than a chance meeting, but she didn't want to scare him off with such outlandish beliefs. Instead she decided go along with him and stick with simple questions, but her real thoughts stayed on the forefront of her mind: _why_ had he come?

"Well," Zelda started, her voice beckoning him to meet her eyes again, "what's Saria like?" Even if she couldn't ask him all the things she wanted to, she desperately wanted to get to know him better.

He turned his head to her again, and with a kind, thoughtful look, said, "She's great. We've been friends for a long time, and she's really…" He paused before tagging on, "nice."

"Oh, well. I bet she is," Zelda responded hurriedly. She felt her own ears growing hot with an unfamiliar feeling: jealousy. It burned in her heart, just a small flicker of envy, and she shushed it immediately. It was foolish for her to get worked up over someone she had just met, and after all, Saria was only a friend…right? "So she's…just your friend?"

"Well, uh, yeah," Link sputtered, blushing furiously at her question. His eyes darted away and then locked onto hers quickly. "She's been there for me…when no one else was."-(Zelda immediately thought about how she would have been there for him if she could have)- "In a way, I was kind of an…outcast."

After inwardly grinning to herself at the fact that Saria was indeed his friend, Zelda raised an eyebrow at his statement. "An outcast? How so?" She looked at him up and down, and she saw nothing irregular about his appearance.

"I don't have a fairy." That same pensive expression he had worn earlier returned, and a sadness was attached to it.

Zelda was surprised by this. She hadn't noticed it before, but it was weird that he didn't have a glowing fairy companion the other Kokiri did. She imagined him trekking all the way from the forest to the castle, completely alone and without a partner or guide. To think that he had traveled so far on his own! Her interest peaked at this, but she didn't want to seem too eager when he looked upset. "I didn't realize. Do you know why you don't…have a fairy?" Zelda asked carefully. She didn't want to tread on too sensitive a topic.

"I don't know," Link replied blankly, staring dejectedly at the stone steps. "One just never came to me. I suppose I don't really need one then."

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, all sound ceased between the two of them. Link didn't look at but instead kept to himself, while she couldn't take her eyes off of the strange boy.

"I suppose so…you made it all the way here on your own, didn't you?"

Link turned his head and stared at her, and Zelda stared back at him with knowing eyes. "You're so secretive," she murmured. "I know that you came here by yourself…you can't hide it from me." When he appeared to be wary, she smiled warmly at him.

"How did you know I would come?"

Zelda was caught off guard by the deep interest in his voice as he asked her a question for once. She had assumed, foolishly so, that he had known about her dreams, but that was apparently not the case. It was now her turn to look very confused, and, startled, she blathered out, "You mean you didn't know?"

"Know what?" He blinked at her.

Zelda let out a sigh and set her chin on the tops of her knees. "Link," she started slowly, "I've been dreaming about you coming here for a week. Every dream I've had you've been here…" She stopped to look at him; he blanched. With an unsteady voice, she continued. "I even dreamt of you leading me to the forest…"

She averted her eyes back to him again to see him looking quite pale and shocked. Zelda feared that she really had scared him off, uncurled from her position, and said loudly, "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay-" Link interjected, standing and throwing his hands defensively in front of him.

"No, really…" Zelda held out her hands beckoningly.

Link glanced down at her in a cautious manner that unsettled her. He put a hand on his narrow hip and turned his head away from her, said something unintelligible under his breath, and then sat next to her. Zelda dropped her hands; the easy conversation had fled, and the discomfort between them was tangible now.

"I don't know why, but I didn't mean to scare you off," Zelda mumbled in a voice that held only sorrow, and even though she stared long at hard at him, he neither spoke nor flickered his blue eyes to her. "I figured you knew, but…I guess that was stupid." She waited, but he remained rooted to his place on the steps, frozen between leaving and staying. "I just want to know why you're here."

Her words seemed to melt the cold wall between them; Link noticeably let his guard down and sighed heavily before taking a seat next to her. As he refocused his eyes on hers, Zelda saw a stress that hung around his shoulders like a shawl. It was one of responsibility, akin to the heaviness that she often saw weighing down Impa or her father. Deep inside of his kind eyes, she saw a glint of tiredness that could only come with either age and experience. It was then, for the first time, that Zelda felt she truly knew what he was trying to tell her, which was that he couldn't tell her.

"Zelda," Link began, and his childish voice broke the illusion of age she saw in his eyes. She blinked a little, the adult she could've sworn she had saw fading completely and turning him back into the young hero of her dreams. She smiled at him, wordlessly telling him to continue, and he did.

"I came here because I felt that it was what I needed to do," Link told her, and she was hanging on to every word. "I didn't know you had been dreaming about me."

A tingling filled her chest, but she said nothing. "I'm sorry I can't tell you more," he continued. "I don't know how." Link's eyes were apologetic.

Zelda, however, expected no apology. Instead, she sat there beside him and gingerly reached her small, pale hand for one of his thick, callused ones. She laced her fingers with his, not uttering a word as she did so, and let his warmth soak into her. Sitting there beside him, a kind of comfort she had not experienced before draped over her, the comfort that one feels when they feel that they are exactly where they should be. With a smile, Zelda sweetly told him not to worry about it and thanked him. She spoke to him with a pair of understanding, truly empathetic, eyes, and she would have leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his scraped face if they hadn't been found.

Just as Zelda puckered her lips, she saw a familiar person clothed in purple out of her peripheral vision. Strutting around inside, nearing the courtyard window, was Impa, whose lips were tightened into a thick, stern line. With a gasp, Zelda tugged a clueless Link away from the window and dragged him with her to the bushes just outside the garden. He looked bewildered, but she muttered a hushed apology as she pushed him into the hedge. She crouched down and reassured the large, round eyes staring at her in puzzlement, before turning around and facing the exact woman she had been trying to hide from.

Impa stared down at her, her hands placed firmly on her hips, and she held out a hand to help Zelda up. Zelda, shaking, took it and raised up with her aid. She shuffled her feet and her eyes fell to the ground, not knowing what to expect. Impa folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head a fraction before asking in a flat voice, "What's in the bush?"

When Zelda didn't answer her, she said, "Excuse me, Princess, I meant…_who _is in the bush?"

Before she could protest or claim that there was no one hiding in the hedge, Link bravely crawled out, his hair flyaway and adorned with a few stray leaves and twigs. He stood up straight and as tall as he could, which was around Impa's midsection, and he looked up at her courageously. Zelda slipped behind him and waited for Impa to throw him out-or try to.

However, instead of Impa seizing him by the collar and dragging him to the guards outside, she only asked him, "Did you come to see the Princess?"

He nodded, and Zelda again prepared herself for something bad. "What is your name?"

"Link."

"Link," said Impa, whose serious look morphed into a kinder one, "let me escort you out of her. The guards will be…most unhappy if they found you trying to sneak back out…though you obviously got past them effortlessly the first time."

"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, "Thank you, but why-?"

"I'm afraid this is between Link and I." Impa turned Link away from her and was about to lead him out of the garden, but Zelda interrupted once more.

"No, Impa! I mean…" She looked at her caretaker sheepishly. "Can I say goodbye?"

Impa cocked a thin eyebrow at the young princess, and Zelda couldn't tell what she was thinking. She stood there awkwardly, shifting her feet across the grass, arms held behind her back, blushing. She looked at her caretaker with a pleading face, hoping that she would at least get to bid farewell to her dream boy.

"…I suppose so," Impa said. She took her hand off of Link's shoulder and strode out of the garden and into the courtyard to give them privacy and wait for him.

Link crossed over to Zelda as she stepped forward to him, and they met halfway in the middle of the narcissus and roses. His face was very solemn now, and Zelda reached down to the ground to gently snap a single red rose from its long stem and hand it to him. He examined it and didn't say anything, but she hadn't expected him to. She took his free hand with both of her own and told him softly, "Please, Link. Come to me again someday."

He nodded, and with that gesture, Link turned away from her and left her alone in the garden.

Later that night, as Zelda changed into her nightdress and combed out her hair before climbing into bed, she thought only of what Link had said. She accepted that he couldn't answer all of her questions, but even so, she wondered why evermore. Even while she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, the gentle realm of sleep slowly shrouding her mind, the last thing she thought of were his secretive words and his all-telling eyes.

The sun had already set behind the rolling hills of Hyrule by the time Link reached the outskirts of Kokiri Forest. He ran, heart beating hard and fast in his chest, underneath the tender moonlight and the twinkling stars, but he didn't find himself enjoying the serenity of nighttime. He felt dizzy and his head spun, but it wasn't because of his traveling across the land. As the cool wind of the night whipped his face and he darted past the oak trees, he could think only of the apparent mistake he had made by going to the castle. Worry and concern dazed him, and he clumsily caught his foot on a large, protruding root in his befuddlement. His face came crashing down onto the musty earth, and Link coughed and sputtered as he swallowed a lot of dust. He wiped his mouth and, in exhaustion, took a seat beneath the huge oak that had defiled him.

Link looked skyward and let out a long, tired sigh. In his mind, all he could see was Zelda's smiling face. He had forgotten how charming she was, how she could persuade him into doing anything she wanted. He hadn't planned on answering questions, but he should have known that he would break. He felt a little smug when he thought of how positively enchanted she had been by his answers, even if they were extremely vague and minimal. Link's pride, however, evaporated completely when his mind turned to what had his heart racing.

As Impa stood with him outside of the drawbridge of Castle Town, she had given him a severe look. "I remember," she had said. "We all do."

Those words still rang in his ears and tore at him. He had assumed that the sages would remember everything that had happened seven years ago (or from now, Link thought), and Impa's words confirmed this. Yet this only raised more questions, ones that ate at him. If this were true, then why didn't Zelda remember anything? She had told him that she was a sage, the one to lead the others. Even when he had mentioned Saria, her eyes only stared at him with curiosity. She didn't appear to recall anything, not even about the other sages. It made his head ache painfully to try and solve this riddle, so he tried his best to shove it into the back of his mind.

The other thing that bothered him was Zelda's dreams. He had not forgotten the prophetic dreams Zelda had told him before, the ones of the boy with the fairy ridding the clouds of evil from Hyrule, but he had fixed the future, hadn't he? If there wasn't some great evil lurking ahead, ready to sabotage the kingdom and Sacred Realm, why had she dreamt of his arrival? Had he failed the sages and not truly saved anyone? Link could feel his heart pick up speed again; what would become of Hyrule if he hadn't cleansed it of evil? In frustration, he swore under his breath at himself once more, tense from the convoluted situation he had willingly thrown himself into again.

Head still pounding, Link stood. He trudged back to the forest now, the pressure of the fate of Hyrule seemingly falling on him once more. He felt foolish for crawling back to Zelda, but he held onto her like a vice; she was the only part of his past, or future rather, that he had left, and he didn't know if he could uncurl his fingers and let go.

As he crossed the bridge into the dim forest, Link contemplated whether or not he'd go back to Zelda. His mind, heavy with skepticism, screamed at him to stay in the forest and leave it alone, to not go creeping back into the castle to see the young princess. Things were better that way, not to mention safer. But that, he knew, would mean disappointing her, and it pulled on his heartstrings to even think about doing that. His heart protested that he ought to go back to her rather than risk letting her down; what was life without taking chances?

His hand reached into the small pouch of his tunic, and from it he produced the crimson rose she had gifted him with. He ran his fingertips of the velvety petals and breathed in the rich scent, and as he looked down into its fully blossomed center, he understood that he was enslaved by Princess Zelda. That smile, that laugh, those eyes…he was totally spellbound by her. He laughed humorlessly at himself as he pocketed the memento, and Link knew that his mind was made up. As he strode into the silent forest, empty save for himself, he actually smiled to himself. Maybe visiting Zelda wasn't such a foolish mistake, he told himself. Perhaps it was pure, just a game two children could play without worry. It could be innocent.

Link climbed the short ladder to his treetop home and walked inside. It felt like stranger's house to him almost, he hadn't been inside for so long. He crossed the room to his small bed, which hadn't changed at all since Navi yanked him from it that day. He sat down on it before stretching out as far as he could across it, and it was a pleasant feeling to be laying in a bed instead of on the cold, dewy ground. He closed his eyes and, to his surprise, felt fatigue overtake him. He stared at the wooden ceiling, his mind slowly shutting down for the first time in a long time, but what was a long time to him? He yawned and closed his eyes, not sure if seven years was really that long at all. With one last yawn, Link fell into a deep slumber.


	5. New Beginnings

A/N: This one is considerably longer than the others, and I apologize for the lengths of these chapters being rather arbitrary. I'm hoping that the chapters will be consistently longer, but I can't be sure at this point. This and the following chapter were originally going to be one, but I think a break was in order.

* * *

><p>It had been a fortnight since Link had ventured into the courtyard of Hyrule Castle to see the princes, and now, as morning broke through the blackness of night, he woke with the intentions of traveling to the palace to see her again. He lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking of what time he would leave. He had wanted to go see her sooner, but he had realized soon after his arrival to Kokiri Forest that he had loose ends to tie up. The other children of the forest had been shocked to see him the morning when he walked out of his house for the first time in days (Link had not yet grown used to the fact that to everybody else, he had only been gone for some weeks, rather than some years). He had gotten millions of questions about whether or not he had actually left the forest, but before he could actually answer them, Mido had told the other children that he had only gotten lost. After making fun of him for being dumb enough to get lost in his home forest and wander aimlessly for days, Mido led the other kids off. It was the first time in Link's life that he had actually been grateful to Mido.<p>

That wasn't the only thing he'd had to explain to them, though. It wasn't long before one of the twins pointed out his sudden lack of a fairy ("Didn't you have one before you left?"). Link stammered as he tried to explain, but in the end, the other children realized that his fairy had actually _left_ him. He had never heard of that happening before, and apparently neither had they; they questioned him about what kind of things one has to do to chase their fairy away. Link was a little hurt by the thought of Navi leaving him behind, and the less-than-contrite attitude of his peers didn't help. He had simply shrugged them off and scurried back home.

Then, of course, there was Saria. Link had asked around about her, but no one seemed to know where she spent her days as of late. Admittedly, he had worried about her before he realized that Saria was probably in the same place he had left her, waiting for him to come home. He had ran off to the Lost Woods in a flourish. As he passed through each hidden doorway, the sound of her song grew louder and louder. Eventually he reached a clearing, Saria's song louder than ever. Sure enough, Saria sat cross legged on the short stump beside the entrance to the Forest Temple, playing her ocarina and bobbing her head with the beat. When she noticed that he was there, she had jumped up from the stump and hugged him tightly. Link gingerly hugged her back-feeling her love all over him was flattering, but uncomfortable-and he apologized for not coming to see her sooner. They didn't have to get caught up, since as a sage, Saria remembered the things that he did. Instead, he produced his fairy ocarina she had gifted him with before his initial departure from the forest, and they sat together playing and sharing songs. It was by far the best afternoon Link had had in the forest since he returned, and he thanked her wholeheartedly for it.

Now, life had somewhat returned to normal, both to Link's relief and displeasure. He was glad to be safe for the first time in a long time, and it was pleasant to see Saria and his other friends. However, the hole his adventure had left in his heart had only grown in the two weeks that he had been back in the forest. He yearned to stand straight and tall once more and slash through evil with his blade…that legendary blade. It pained him to think of the Master Sword, but thoughts of impossible things could drive men mad.

The only thing that doctored the metaphorical wound in his chest was Princess Zelda. Every time he thought of her smile, her eyes, and her kind words, he felt the ache in his heart dull. She seemed to be stitching up the hole a little at a time, patching it up and making him feel good again. Thinking about her now made him only want to hold her more. Link smiled to himself, knowing that in hours he would be in her presence once more, and she would flash him that legendary grin that made his every nerve ending tingle.

However, now was not the time to concentrate on Zelda.

Link pulled himself up from his cot and out of his head, and he strode towards the entrance to his modest house. He craned his neck out to take a look around, and he smiled at the familiar faces he saw below him. He waved to one of the blonde Kokiri standing not so far from his house, and she grinned at him. Link climbed down the skinny, wooden ladder and said hello before making his way to the shop. He skipped across the stones without falling into the shallow water, and he slipped in through the door and shut it quietly behind him.

The shop looked the same way it always had. The hollowed insides of a tree, it was dimly lit and smelled of bark, and there were a few posters here and there about sales. The short child, the shopkeeper, behind the counter stood on his tiptoes to see over it, and he greeted him vigorously.

"Link!" he chimed cheerfully. Link approached the wooden counter and the shopkeeper jumped up. "I haven't seen you around here in ages! You wanna buy something?" He threw his hand out to the items that lined the shelves. The one that caught Link's eye was the simple deku shield, which was exactly what he had come for. His original shield had burned away due to some nasty flaming keese, and he had been left with the big, heavy Hylian shield. It was only useful to him as a child on the dangerous Death Mountain, a place Link knew he wouldn't be at anytime soon, so he pointed towards the small shield with a smile.

The shopkeeper bounced up and down as he took it down from the shelf and set it on the counter. "Forty rupees, Link."

Link reached for his wallet, and he almost chuckled to himself as he realized that he still had the giant wallet he had received from the cursed family he had freed. It was still heavy with rupees, and he withdrew two red ones and slid them to the shopkeeper. He raised an eyebrow at him as he swept them into his hands, but Link paid no mind and thanked him for the shield. He equipped it onto his back carefully and then walked out of the shop. Just as he shut the door behind him and turned, Link felt his head painfully bump into someone else's.

"Oof," said a girly voice, and Link noticed that he had ran into one of the blonde girls of the forest. She was a little strange, and she spent a lot of time in the Lost Woods. He recalled running into her when he was "older." She had told him that everybody was going to become stalfos…

Link shook his head and quickly said, "Sorry." He tried to step around her, but she moved with him, an eerie smile on her face. He attempted to get around the girl once more, but she blocked him off again. He backed away a little before asking, "…Yes…?"

"Hi, Link," she said. She brushed her puffy pigtails with her fingers. "I've got something important to tell you."

"…Yes?" He shifted back and forth on his feet, wondering what kind of "important" thing she had to tell him.

"Saria is waiting for you in the forest. That's all." She tilted her head a fraction and smiled at him in a way that made him a little uncomfortable.

Link gave her a curious look. "All right," he told her before quickly going around her. "Thanks…and uh, bye."

"Goodbye Link!" Yes, she was quite strange. Link glanced back at her, and she kept standing there, rocking back and forth on her feet with that same weird grin on her face. He tried to ignore it as he climbed the hill to the Lost Woods, and by the time he had entered the large, wooden tunnel, he had pushed the encounter to the back of his mind.

Just as the name suggested, it was rather easy to get lost in the Lost Woods. By now, Link had searched through them enough times to remember the quickest path to the grove where Saria's music came from. He could hear it now, the simple notes floating in the air. As he made his way through various tunnels, the music grew in volume. Link stopped before a certain tunnel with a large rock beside it, and after a little inspection, he walked through the darkness and found himself in a very green clearing on the other side.

Underneath the large, bare tree was a short, thick stump, and Saria sat there was always, playing her song on her fairy ocarina with a smile. As he approached her, she stopped and waved him over. "Hey, Link," Saria greeted as she took a seat on the stump once more. Link sat down in the dewy grass and looked up at her. She ran a few fingers through her green hair and looked away from his face. "How have you been this week?"

Saria had a tendency to ask questions as if they were statements, so Link shrugged a little and just said, "Fine." He stared off into the distance, eyes looking around the grove and deliberately avoiding hers. After a moment of silence, he asked, "So…why did you want to see me?"

She laughed a little and leaned over to him. "Besides wanting to just see you?" She grinned at him some more. "Well, I just wanted to know what you've been up to all week. I don't see you around as much."

Link shrugged again and said he'd just been preoccupied. "Things are a little…confusing right now." Saria's knowing look suggested she understood, and Link knew that she would. Being a sage, she too remembered the events that had happened. What she didn't know was that he had gone to see Zelda.

"I thought that might be it, but…" Saria bit her lip and looked skyward as she talked. "You've seemed so distant ever since you got back. I thought you'd be a little more open with yourself, considering everything. Or at least," she said as she looked down at him, "you'd be more open with me."

Admittedly, Link felt a little guilty for not coming to his best friend first, opting instead for a princess he hardly knew, and he didn't know how to explain that. "Distant?" he asked instead of explaining.

She nodded. "Distant. It's like you're here…but you're not. You always seem to be somewhere else."

That was something he couldn't deny, so he didn't. Link leaned against the stump and looked up at her, trying to think of the right words to say to her. When they didn't come, he improvised. "Yeah…I feel beside myself ever since I got back from… you know."

Saria nodded her head again. "I could tell."

"I didn't want to come straight back to the forest. It would feel too much like…leaving it all behind."

"Isn't that what she wanted?" Saria asked. Link's eyes widened; he knew that she was talking about Zelda. How did Saria always know these things without him telling her? He glanced away from her, and when his eyes flickered back to hers, she was still staring with the same patient expression.

Link thought about this question. Future Zelda had told him to go back to his own time, that it was where he belonged. That time line was the one meant for him, not he one she had gotten him so involved in. He wondered what would have happened if Zelda actually remembered telling him any of this, and for a second he believed that Saria was right. Yet the image of Zelda's face when he handed her the ocarina of time flashed through his mind. The reluctance in her face said all the things her mouth did not.

"I don't think so."

To his surprise, Saria smiled at him. Her big green eyes held understanding, and she said, "I bet she misses you." She crossed her legs and adjusted herself on the stump before holding her ocarina to her lips once again.

The music was but background music to Link's thoughts. It didn't distract or irritate him, for it was a comforting song to hear, but he wasn't really listening to it. Instead he was lost inside of his own head again, the way he often found himself these days. He thought about what Saria had said-that he had been distant-and he agreed. He felt more like he was haunting the forest, floating around as a ghost and doing the daily things, than actually living in it. Each day of the past two weeks had been excruciatingly similar. It was not unlike the situation with his adventures in the future: he felt spliced between two places. His mind was on the outside, detached from his body that glided around the forest in monotony.

Link looked over at Saria, playing her ocarina with a contentment he envied. A sage, she was much wiser than he and handled the situation a lot better, but she wasn't hopelessly devoted to a princess who didn't really know who she was. Watching her play, Link knew that he could trust Saria with anything, even his deepest of secrets.

"Saria…" Link started, and she stopped playing her ocarina.

"Hm?"

"I went to go see Zelda."

Saria didn't say anything at first. She pocketed her ocarina, turned around to face him properly, and locked her green eyes onto his. "You did?"

"Yes," he replied with confidence. Her eyes appeared a little stern, for whatever reason, but he knew better than to crumple. "I did. As soon as I left the temple."

"Did she…remember anything, Link?" Worry filled her eyes where anger once was.

This is where Link sighed and flickered his eyes away from hers. He was unsure of how Saria would react to what would ultimately be the answer, "no," but he was more discontented by the fact that he couldn't answer any of the questions that would naturally follow after it. "No. She didn't."

Saria softened at this. "That's…peculiar. I remember. Zelda's a sage as well, shouldn't she…?"

"Yes. It…confused me."

She bit her lip and asked, "Did she freak out when she saw you? I mean, if she doesn't remember anything, she couldn't have possibly known you were coming."

Link tensed. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

Link sighed and stared down at his hands. "Well, she told me she… had been having dreams of me."

There was a long, pregnant pause between the two of them, Link's words sinking into Saria's mind. She looked confused and a little worried, the same reaction he had when Zelda told him of her dreams. "Why would she dream of you? Didn't she have prophetic dreams?"

"Yes, and that's why I don't know how to feel."

Another pause while Saria pondered that. She chewed on her bottom lip in thought, gazing off into the faraway forest with a distant look in her eyes. Link laid his head against the wood of the stump, and he felt Saria's fingers run through his bangs. He jumped a little, but relaxed at the tender gesture after a moment or two. "I wouldn't worry about it so much," she told him in a very even tone. "Perhaps you two were meant to find each other."

Link didn't respond to her at first. He contemplated this; what was the likelihood of him being destined to meet a princess? He blushed at the romantic statement. "I don't know if that's the case."

"Why couldn't it be?" Saria asked, pulling her fingers from his hair. He ran his own hand through his bangs to fix them. "Don't you believe in fate?"

This was a big question, Link thought. He recollected a few memories of his journey through time, remembering when he believed himself to be but an average Kokiri, not meant for much other than wandering the forest as a child for eternity. That had all changed with one simple visit to the Deku Tree, the tree that transformed his life forever.

"I'm not sure," said Link.

Halfway across the vast land of Hyrule, in the her quarters in Hyrule Castle, was the young Princess Zelda herself. She was still dressed in her night gown, golden hair messy and brushing her shoulders, a distinct worried look on her face. She was pacing across the floor of her chambers and fiddling with her fingers. She had been in such a frenzied state ever since she woke up earlier that morning, and now, fed up with her anxiety, she halted in front of the mirror mounted on her wall and forced herself to stand still.

What would keep a girl of such noble upbringing in that kind of condition? Zelda smirked to herself at the answer: a boy. She crossed her arms now in silent indignation. It was humorlessly funny, the way one single boy from the forest had gotten her torn up inside. Contrary to popular belief, Zelda was not often courted or being forced to get to know other young princes to one day get married to. She had been brought up to be independent and wise, to stand alone if she had to and run the country. Naturally, because of this, no one had ever told her that boys could ruin your entire well-being.

Around two weeks before, the boy quite literally of her dreams had shown up in the garden. He had actually trekked across the land for her, just to introduce himself and meet her. She had been swept off her feet immediately, completely enamored by the time he told her his name: Link. He had been everything she had expected and more. Link had promised to return to her soon, and she had dutifully waited for him each day since.

All though Zelda's heart was still beating for Link, she had begun to feel a little disenchanted by the dawning of the second week, still with no sight of him in her garden. It hadn't occurred to her a fortnight ago that she had no way of contacting him, for she didn't know exactly where in Kokiri forest he lived. He had not told her if he would come during the day or the night, either, so for all she knew, he could already have come and gone without her knowing. She unknowingly began to pace once more, teeth digging into her bottom lip in thought. She wondered, briefly, if he would ever return, but the image of his honest blue eyes convinced her otherwise, and she disposed of those thoughts quickly.

All she really wanted was to see him again. Zelda frowned inwardly. She tried desperately to have faith in him, to believe that he would indeed come to her again, but it was difficult. Every night for the past fourteen days she had patiently waited, leaning out of her chamber window, hoping to see a flash of green running across the field. Each night she had sought for him was fruitless though, and her hope was starting to wane. Zelda wondered how long it would be until she showed his humble face again.

A light knocking on her chamber door broke her away from her thoughts. "Enter," she called softly.

Through the door slipped Impa, standing as proud and regal as usual, dressed in her Sheikah clothing. She gave a respectful nod to Zelda, who waved her in and smiled at her sweetly. Impa crossed the room to her and lay one hand lightly on her dainty shoulder. "Good morning, Princess."

"And good morning to you, Impa." All though she grinned while she said it, Zelda's eyes remained gloomy. She knew by Impa's curious expression that she saw it, but Impa said nothing about that.

Instead, she said, "We heard you stir nearly an hour ago. What have you been doing in your chambers for so long? Usually you're quite an early bird."

Zelda twiddled her fingers. "I was just thinking about some things."

"Complex thoughts can drive a man mad, you know."

"Yes," she agreed. She was beginning to truly understand the statement. She drifted away from Impa, whose hand fell off her shoulder and hung limply at her side, to her chamber window. Outside it was bright, the sun not quite at its peak in the cloudy blue sky, a beautiful day indeed. She propped her elbows on the stony pane and let Hyrule's cool breeze tousle her hair more. "I suppose," she began in light tone, "that my father sent you to drag my bones out of bed and down to breakfast?" She moved from the window and turned to smile at Impa, who returned the gesture.

"Yes," Impa replied. "There's some fresh milk and fruit in it for you, if you're willing to come downstairs. You'll want to get dressed and clean up first, naturally."

Zelda glanced at the mirror and did a double take at her reflection's messy appearance. Impa laughed as the princess began to run her fingers through her unkempt blonde hair in an attempt to fix it. "Come downstairs when you're ready Princess." With that, she exited the room and shut the heavy wooden door behind her with a _clank_.

Zelda grimaced at her reflection, less because of her sloppy, early-morning appearance and more because of the toll Link's lack of presence was taking on her psyche. She turned away from herself briefly to find her silver comb before brushing her hair in the mirror. As she absentmindedly moved the teeth through her blonde locks, she mulled over the possibility of Link never coming back to her. It hurt her deeply to contemplate such unpleasant things, but in order for her to one day be a wise, upstanding ruler of the land, Zelda would have to learn how to apply rational logic to all aspects of her life.

The prospect of never seeing Link again was painful. She could feel a dull ache in her heart as she thought about it. What would happen if she never saw the kind forest boy again? What would she do without him...? She shook her head at the somewhat silly question; they had only met once. Was it unreasonable for her to be so upset over someone who, in essence, was a complete stranger to her? Even though Zelda was aware that they weren't well-acquainted, she couldn't help but feel comfortable around him. It was as if they had known each other for much longer than two weeks, but that was probably because of her dreams she had of him.

Even now, after meeting him in person, she still dreamed of him at night. Each night was the same as the last: she'd be wandering outside, she would see Link, and then they'd reunite for a night under the stars. They were girlish, romantic dreams that made her blush, but Zelda felt that she had them for a reason. She had confided in Impa about them, who told her that it was part of growing up. Girls began to notice boys around her age, she had said with a quirky smile on her face. It was normal for her to think about him all day.

Her crush on the boy embarrassed and thrilled her. She felt giggly and light-headed when she thought about him and his hand on hers. She blushed now while she brushed her hair, her reflection's cheeks tinged rosy pink. This reaction reinforced her opinion. It was ridiculous for her to get so worked up over him when they had only just met. As much as she wished they were close, they weren't. Link probably didn't feel the same way either...did he? She ceased her hair-combing at this thought. Was it possible that he, too, flushed red at the thought of her, dreamed of her at night, or stammered when he talked about her? Perhaps that is why he hadn't returned, out of sheer nervousness and sweaty palms and whatnot.

Doubtful. Zelda frowned at herself and set her comb down. She decided to try and not think about Link anymore that morning and headed to change her clothes. She swiftly slipped out of her night frock and into her typical white dress. She stood in front of the looking glass again as she folded her hair carefully and tucked it away in her headdress. Impa told her that the headdress was quite old and had once belonged to Princess Zeldas many years before. The round, golden medallion shone across the band on her forehead, emblazoned with the symbol of the goddesses: the Triforce. Seeing it reminded her of her responsibilities and inspired her to change her disposition; Zelda was a Princess, and she had other things to think about than boys who may or may not come to her again. She would not be a hopelessly lovesick damsel. With a short nod and a confident smile, Zelda swept out of her chambers and into the castle corridor.

The castle was very bright that morning, with light pouring in through the windows and illuminating the halls. Zelda strutted down the corridor, passing by numerous paintings of previous royal family members, until she came to a large, curling staircase covered with a crimson rug. At the top of the stairs there was a heavy, claret tapestry, and sewn on it were the generations of the royal family. She stopped in front of it to admire it, running her fingers over the gold-threaded names. At the very bottom was her own name, like so many others on the tapestry, shining in gold beneath her father and mother's. She pulled her hand away and continued down the steps until they flattened out into the foyer. As she crossed the room to the dining hall, she waved to the Hylian Guards, who all waved back and called out, "Good morning," to her. She pushed her way through the oak double-doors into the dining room.

The dining room itself was quite expansive. In the center of the room was a long, heavily-polished wooden table draped with an exquisite white tablecloth and topped with fine china. Suspended above the table was a massive gold chandelier that could hold nearly a hundred candles, though none were lit at the moment. It hung directly above the middle of the table, where the Hyrulean crest was printed in gold. Red upholstered chairs were drawn up to the table, most of them empty save for one on the far north end, where her father sat.

The king of Hyrule was a very honorable looking man. He stood fairly tall and very proud, with a thick beard strewn with grey from stress rather than age. He usually donned his crown and a variety of rings to compliment his noble clothing, and today was no exception. Today he wore an ensemble composed of prestigious purple clothes, finished off with a light cloak that also bore the Hyrulean crest. As Zelda entered the room, he waved her over with a smile on his face. Despite his sometimes intimidating appearance and aristocratic stature, he was a very warm man with a soft spot for his daughter.

Zelda scurried over to him with childish zeal, momentarily forgetting her prim and proper position and turning into his little girl. He embraced her, and she planted one firm kiss on his right cheek. "Morning, Father."

He chuckled and said in a deep voice, "Yes, yes, good morning to you as well, Zelda. Here, take a seat." He gestured to the chair beside him, which she sat down in quickly. She smoothed out her dress and sat up straight, then flashed him a bright smile once more.

"Zelda, you're rather late for breakfast, wouldn't you say?"

"I apologize...I had a lot on my mind when I awoke. I thought it best to settle it with myself before coming downstairs." She wove her fingers together and set them on the table. He smiled back at her.

A middle-aged woman in a simple white dress came strolling through holding a tray. She stopped by the table and set down a plate bearing various fruits in front of Zelda.

"Milk, dear?"

"Yes, thank you." She poured fresh milk from a glass bottle into the goblet beside Zelda's plate. With a smile, she exited the room and left the father and daughter by themselves.

"That milk's fresh from Lon Lon Ranch, just delivered by Talon this morning," the king said as his daughter ate a ripe strawberry.

Zelda swallowed and took a sip of the milk. "It's quite good...he runs the ranch too, doesn't he?"

"Yes," he responded, "and he has a daughter, Malon, about your age as well."

"Mm," she murmured as she drank more of her milk. She didn't say much else as she picked at the grapes on her plate, glad to eat something and not think about Link, all though her mind continued to drift to him every once and a while.

They sat in silence for a while, Zelda finishing up her breakfast, her father simply observing her. When she had cleaned the plate of fruit and drained the goblet of milk, the lady swept back through the room to gather the china and left once more. The king's eyes darted away from her for a moment, but when they locked onto her again, Zelda was compelled to stare back at the blue irises that matched her own. "Zelda," he began, and she knew that she was about to be told something very important. She sat up a little straight and laced her fingers together again, waiting for his monologue.

He cleared his throat again and said, "Zelda, my dear, I've been a little worried about you. You've been rather...reserved lately, which isn't like you. You've been wasting your days out in the garden. Is something troubling you?"

Zelda was a little taken aback by the direct question, so she didn't have an answer at first. She pondered what to say, for she knew that she couldn't be completely honest with him. If she told him the truth, she really _wouldn't_ ever see Link again. All though her father was a kind man, he was no fool, and it would be hard to get around this.

"Well, I've had a lot on my mind lately," she began in a clear, confident voice. He nodded for her to continue. "The older I get, the more I realize the responsibilities I will have in the future. I've been thinking a lot about the decisions facing me in the future...it's just a lot to take in." She sighed a little after this, hoping it would add to the pensive tone of her voice.

To her surprise, he softened. The king touched her face endearingly, then said, "My dear, now is not the time to worry about such things. We are at peace now, and these old bones still have some years left in them. Enjoy your youth. However, I caution you to be smart; make wise decisions."

"I will, Father," Zelda answered a little quickly. He didn't appear to notice. He drew back his hand and she smiled.

"You may go on, sit in the garden if you please. You shame those flowers, I'm afraid."

She giggled at her father's compliment and said, "Thank you. I'll see you at supper." She stood, scooted her chair to the table, and then left quietly out the double-doors and into the foyer again. She passed by and waved at the guards once more before making a sharp turn right and filing down the nearest corridor. As she approached the end, a set of large double doors came into view. With one heavy push, Zelda forced them open and a rather blinding light came pouring through. She shielded her eyes and slipped through the opening, then shut the doors behind her.

The courtyards to the castle were quite expansive, but having spent so much time in them, Zelda knew them like the back of her own hand. She wasn't very far from the garden she usually sat in, so she strolled with ease across the cobblestone paths, still trying to keep her mind off Link without much success. Even the bright, sunny day provided no distraction.

Soon the cobblestone path opened into the wide, diamond-shaped garden where she always waited for Link. She crossed the grass, cutting through the roses and narcissus (though being careful not to break them), and took a seat one the tiny stone steps below the window like usual. She lay her face in her hands and gazed dreamily outside, eyes not really seeing, mind reeling as always.

Her attempts at not thinking about her precious hero were fruitless. No matter what she did, her thoughts always scrambled back to him. His blue eyes, his blonde hair, his green tunic... they were all etched in her mind, clear as the day, and she couldn't stop seeing it. She could hear his gentle but strong voice talking to her, telling her to be patient and that he would, indeed, come. She managed to hush this voice with a wave of her hand and a hopeless sigh.

Well into the twilit evening Zelda sat outside in the garden, waiting. As the blue sky faded into black and stars began to twinkle, Zelda sighed once more. Her heart ached with a familiar feeling of disappointment, and she dug the heels of her hands into her eyes as they stung with tears. She sniffed, her lip quivered, and she was bound to break into a sob at any moment, and she probably would have if she had not heard Impa's voice calling to her.

"Zelda, perhaps you should come inside and clean up in a little while?" The Sheikah had appeared at her side soundlessly. Zelda jumped a bit at her presence and she looked up at her in surprise, but then she quickly forced a tight smile in order to hide her sadness.

"Impa, you scared me! Try not to be so quiet next time!"

"A habit, I'm afraid," Impa replied coolly. She patted Zelda on the head, obviously knowing that something was bothering her. "It would be nice to see you inside before the moon rises high."

Zelda didn't repress her sigh. "Yes...I agree. I'll come inside in a moment... I just need a few minutes for myself."

Impa laughed humorlessly. "Haven't you spent the last few hours by yourself, Princess?"

A shadow seemed to fall across her face. "Yes... I have."

"What a funny thing you are, Zelda," Impa told her. She gave her one last pat on the head before stepping back and with a quick motion of her arm, disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

Zelda frowned at the empty spot where Impa had stood. She normally felt very comforted by her presence, but lately that had not been the case. She drew a long, deep breath, but as soon as she had let it out, Zelda felt herself break and the tears finally came. She cried as quietly as possible, knowing she was near t he window and not wanting anyone to hear. Her sobs were heavy, shoulder-shaking ones, and she buried her head in her hands under the weight of her emotion. It felt good to finally cry, but she felt so stupid for it being over a boy who was hardly a reality anymore.

She didn't know what she would do if Link ever bothered to show his face. She wanted to curl her fingers into a fist and hit him in his handsome face, but she knew she could never do such a thing. She could shove him, perhaps. It would probably be in his best interest if he never came back anyway, she thought to herself. As she cried, she could only hope that he never came back, so that she might be able to move on from this strange fantasy she had chased. Zelda hiccuped and wiped hot tears from her eyes. She sniffed and attempted to breathe less erratically. After her breathing slowed, she took another deep breath, and this time no tears followed. She looked up through blurry eyes, and what she saw she almost couldn't comprehend.

Zelda had to rub her eyes again to check her eyesight, make sure she hadn't gone crazy or blind. She blinked, and her mouth opened at the sight of a young boy around her age, clad in forest green, peeking around the stone wall corner. He slipped into the garden quietly, and immediately stopped when he saw Zelda looking at him.

She stood, for even in the dark she knew that she was seeing Link in the flesh. Her skin shivered from either the night wind or him, and she didn't care which. Her fingers tightened, balled into fists. Zelda swallowed hard and allowed herself one final sigh. She wondered, for one evanescent second, what she would do to him now that he was here. Now that he had finally come to her after no word or anything for an entire fortnight.

All of her predictions were wrong. Her hands fell loosely to her sides, and she began to run towards him, cutting straight through the middle of the garden, knocking down roses and crushing a narcissus or two as she did so. Link looked at her in surprise as she reached him and flung her arms around his neck, a real smile painting her lips for the first time in fourteen days.

"Zelda," Link began, his big, cerulean eyes blinking in shock, "I'm sorry for-"

But Zelda did not hear what he was sorry for, because in one impulsive movement, she pressed her lips against his mouth and muted his words.

Link did not know what to think of himself nor the situation he was caught in at first. He had sprinted across the lands of Hyrule for a fair portion of the day, sweating and miserable but desperate to reach the castle before nightfall. He had mentally beaten himself up for failing, for night had blanketed the hills just as the castle came into clear view. He had only just gotten past the draw bridge before it was closed behind him. He had pressed himself further by sneaking past the nighttime guards with great care, and he had only just stumbled into the garden when he heard a crying Zelda.

Zelda was no longer crying on the steps though. Instead, her soft lips were gently locked onto his. After realizing what was happening to him, Link stopped thinking altogether. His heart was beating so hard and fast, he was convinced that she could hear it and feel it herself. Link was suddenly quite happy it was very dark out; his face burned hot and red from the soft lingering of her lips. He could feel her own heartbeat pulsing in her chest pressed close against his, and the light touch of her wispy blonde hair sticking out from under her headdress. He breathed in deeply, closed his eyes, and then his lips gave one gentle push back. She pulled away slowly, a smile playing on her lips and a misty look in her eyes.

At first, neither of them said anything. Zelda was still so close to his face, he could see the tears clinging to her blonde lashes; a pang of guilt hit him in the gut as he realized what she might have been weeping about. Her arms were still locked tightly around his neck, and he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her waist to hug her. He felt her head on his shoulder, and he barely heard her murmur, "I'm just glad you came."

Zelda lifted her head from his shoulder, cheeks notably red even in the dark from crying and probably embarrassment, too. Her blue eyes looked strangely serene, despite the puffiness and wetness that surrounded them. She batted her eyelashes, and Link felt his stomach lurch in a mixture of guilt and butterflies.

"...Yeah," Link responded, voice almost a whisper. "Me too."


End file.
